This is my ultimate go-to recipe. If I need a quick, hands-off dinner, if I’m having guests over, or if I just want something delicious this is the recipe I choose! It’s one of those meals I can guarantee guests will love, you will love, and your whole family will love! It’s a budget-friendly, easy meal! Just throw everything in the instant pot and 45 minutes later you’ve got a delicious, healthy white chicken chili!
I wasn’t so sure about the Instant Pot for a long time. I was familiar with crock pots, and didn’t really think I needed an Instant Pot. But now that I have one, I love it! I’m slowly trying to get the hang of it and get familiar with all of its many wonderful functions. My two favorite things are 1) I can make homemade yogurt in it and 2) I don’t have to worry about thawing meat (since I usually forget to thaw it ahead of time). So here is my unsponsored opinion: get yourself an Instant Pot!
This white chicken chili was born out of a church chili cook-off a few years ago. I’m really not a fan of red chilis (they’re usually too spicy for me) but I love white chilis. So, being the foodie that I am, I knew I needed to create a chili of my own for the contest. Unfortunately we were late to the cook-off so I didn’t really stand a chance. But it was worth it because this chili was born! Since then, I’ve perfected the recipe little by little so it’s tasty, healthier, and something the whole family will love!
The mild diced green chilis add that chili flavor without creating too much spice. However, if your spice tolerance is stronger than mine, go ahead and throw some medium or spicy chilis in there! Just know that I have not tried that, so I can’t promise anything. I also added a zucchini to the recipe just because. It doesn’t change the flavor at all, and you get an extra bit of vegetables in your meal (that hopefully your kids will never notice).
Ingredients for this recipe include:
- olive oil
- garlic
- onion
- diced green chilis
- cumin
- oregano
- salt
- corn
- pinto beans
- zucchini
- broth
- cream cheese
- chicken
For toppings we love to add some avocado, cheddar cheese, and if we have guests over, tortilla chips. A simple green salad would be a perfect side dish to this meal!

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 Tbsp diced green chilis mild
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 can corn
- 2 cans pinto beans
- 1 zucchini chopped
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 8 oz cream cheese cut into small cubes
- 3 large chicken breasts
Instructions
- Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil.
- When the oil is heated, add the garlic, onion, green chilis, cumin, oregano, and salt. Saute for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Switch the Instant Pot to PRESSURE COOK for 45 minutes. It will take some time for the pot to warm up, so plan an additional 10 minutes on top of the 45 minutes. Make sure the valve is on the sealed positions.
- After the 45 minutes, release the steam by switching the valve to the venting position.
- Shred the chicken. The chicken should be soft enough to just fall apart, so I just used a spaghetti spoon to break it up.
- Serve with avocado, cheese, sour cream, etc.